1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and article for protecting human hands from the transfer of infectious germs and diseases by providing a film such as a sheet, partial mitten or a partial glove covering with having a adhesive on one side for attachment to a user's hand, the film being preferably dispensed from an elongated film strip stored, for example, on a roll. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and article for providing a sanitary barrier for a human hand that is dispensed from a roll and wherein sequential segments of film material are removed from the roll when a user placing his or her hand against a strip of film material that is at the free end of the roll so that an adhesive or sticky surface of the film causes the film to stick to the user's hand. The mild adhesive at interface of the hand and the film overcomes a tensile capability of the film at a serration so that when the user presses his or her hand against the film and pulls away, the film tears at the serration leaving a segment of the film attached to the user's hand to form a sanitary barrier.
2. General Background of the Invention
The news media often details accounts of the spread of communicable diseases that range from the common cold to hepatitis resulting from poor hygiene practices. Current data suggests that only one-third of the general population wash their hands after using the rest room. It is virtually impossible to properly wash hands after covering ones' mouth during a sneeze. Food workers and handlers, such as wait staff come in contact with contaminated objects and uncooked food and then may serve cooked food with no convenient opportunity to wash hands. These are just a few scenarios of everyday situations of thousands of people we come into contact with.
The spread of colds, viruses and the like is a problem when a contaminated person serves themself at a self-serve salad bar, or food bar, without first properly washing their hands. The uncontaminated person can have diseases spread to themselves by using the same contaminated utensil previously used, thereby spreading the pathogen from that serving utensil to their own hands. After a contamination conscious person does properly wash their hands they may have to pull down an infected towel lever or open a door using an infected door handle, thus defeating their purpose. Use of the present invention precludes this problem.
The only effective known approaches to the above spread of infection problems have been proper hand washing using hot water and soap. Compliance and proper technique is known to be less than ideal thereby putting healthy people at risk of those who do not utilize good hygiene. Even with good hand washing techniques, the clean hands of a person is contaminated when they have to touch a contaminated object, make change after handling food, etc. Disposable sanitary gloves, while providing protection if used properly, are easily contaminated in the process of donning the gloves. Likewise, the need for use of the sanitary gloves is frequently interrupted by a contaminated process, such as taking money, requiring the removal of the gloves and then donning of a fresh pair, a cumbersome and costly process.